By Rebecca Cline

This September is all about eating MORE nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables.  How do we know how much is “more” or how much is “enough”?  A simple concept that typically helps when designing your plate is to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal or eating occasion.  For some of us, this may be easier said than done.   For those who are not too wild about particular fruits or vegetables, there are a few tips to incorporate fresh produce into your eating plan.  More fruits and veggies matter in one’s diet because they provide vital nutrients to keep one’s body running healthy.  The greater variety and bright rainbow of foods one consumes, the greater assortment of vitamins and minerals available; not to mention that fresh produce is also low in calories and can reduce the risk of several diseases and development of kidney stones, lower blood pressure, and help decrease bone loss.

Adding more fruits and vegetables into a day’s worth of calories can become fairly simple with some creativity.  Try adding sautéed vegetables or citrusy fruits to upgrade any recipe.  Use the infographic below for additional ways to prepare tasty fruits and vegetables.

Resources: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/

More Fruits and Veggies, Please! Infographic (Download PDF)